Fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus
A fumigant vaporising and delivery apparatus for vaporising one or more constituents of a fumigant, the apparatus including: a fluid supply; a pump connected to the fluid supply for drawing fluid at an ambient temperature therefrom; a heater operably connectable to a portable energy source, the heater connected to the pump for receiving and heating a flow of incoming fluid from the pump; a heat exchanger connected to and downstream from the heater adapted to receive an inflow of fluid at an elevated temperature from the heater, the heat exchanger having: a fluid pathway for fluid flow between the heater and the fluid supply; and a fumigant pathway separate from the fluid pathway, extending between an inlet and an outlet in the heat exchanger for flow of a liquid fumigant therebetween; wherein the liquid fumigant vaporises as it flows within the fumigant pathway between the inlet and the outlet with exposure to heat from the fluid pathway, and spent fluid is received by the fluid supply for substantially continuous operation; wherein the fumigant exits the outlet of the heat exchanger in a vaporised state at a predetermined fumigant flow rate in a substantially sustained delivery stream for effective fumigant use.
1 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus for vaporizing one or more constituents of a fumigant, the apparatus including:
a pump connectable to a fluid supply for drawing a fluid at an ambient temperature therefrom;
a heater operably connectable to a portable energy source, the heater connected to the pump for receiving and heating a flow of incoming fluid from the pump;
a heat exchanger connected to and downstream from the heater adapted to receive an inflow of fluid at an elevated temperature from the heater, the heat exchanger having:
a fluid pathway for fluid flow between the heater and the fluid supply; and
a fumigant pathway separate from the fluid pathway, extending between a fumigant inlet and a fumigant outlet in the heat exchanger for flow of a liquid fumigant therebetween;
wherein the liquid fumigant vaporizes as it flows within the fumigant pathway between the fumigant inlet and the fumigant outlet with exposure to heat from the fluid pathway, and spent fluid is received by the fluid supply to enable continuous operation;
wherein the fumigant exits the fumigant outlet of the heat exchanger in a vaporized state at a predetermined fumigant flow rate in a fumigant delivery stream.
2 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger.
3 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the apparatus is configured to maintain the fluid circulating around the plate heat exchanger and heater at or above a pre-determined water circulation temperature.
4 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is configured to maintain the fluid circulating around the plate heat exchanger at a pre-determined fluid circulation temperature in the range of 65 to 85 degrees.
5 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 2 further including a frame, wherein the heater, a heater inlet, the plate heat exchanger, the fumigant inlet and the fumigant outlet are located on the frame.
6 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein one or more of the following components are located on the frame:
a. the fluid supply;
b. the pump;
c. piping for connecting the fluid supply to the pump;
d. piping for connecting the pump to the heater and/or heater inlet;
e. piping for connecting the heater to the plate heat exchanger;
f. piping for connecting the plate heat exchanger to the fluid supply.
7 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the apparatus is configured to maintain the fluid circulating around the plate heat exchanger and heater at or above a pre-determined water circulation flow rate in the range of 20 L/min to 60 L/min.
8 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the apparatus includes one or more controllers for controlling one or more of the following:
a. the temperature range in which the fluid is heated by the heater;
b. the temperature range in which the apparatus is able to provide heated fluid to the plate heat exchanger;
c. the pre-determined vaporized fumigant outflow rate;
d. the pre-determined fumigant inflow rate;
e. the pre-determined water circulation temperature;
f. the pre-determined water circulation flow rate.
9 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to deliver the one or more vaporized fumigant constituents at or above a pre-determined vaporized fumigant outflow rate.
10 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the pre-determined vaporized fumigant outflow rate is in a range between 1 kg/min and 10 kg/min.
11 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more fumigant constituents comprises ethyl formate.
12 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the one or more fumigant constituents further includes CO 2 .
13 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid supply is a reservoir of water and wherein the apparatus recirculates the fluid supply so the vaporization of fumigant is substantially continuous.
14 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is connected to a source of LPG.
15 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the fluid therein to a temperature in a range between 60 degrees Celsius and 99 degrees Celsius.
16 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fumigant inlet is configured to receive the fumigant at or above a pre-determined fumigant inflow rate.
17 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises a gas-powered water heater.
18 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to circulate the fluid into the heater at a temperature in the range of 55 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius.
19 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the system includes a digital scale for measuring fumigant inflow from a pressurized cylinder, wherein dosing is tracked by measuring the decrease in weight of the cylinder by the digital scales.
20 . A fumigant vaporizing and delivery apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more fumigant constituents comprises ethyl formate and CO 2 , and the vaporization of the fumigant is effective for uniform distribution of ethyl formate in the fumigant.